Municipal waste highlights from 2024
43% recycling rate
Which equals 1.32 million tonnes recycled. Ireland must reach the European recycling target of 55% for 2025.
15% landfill rate for municipal waste.
This is a 1% increase from 2023’s rate of 14%. Ireland must reduce the share of municipal landfill to 10% by 2035.
This page contains EPA waste data for Ireland’s Municipal Waste in 2024 (released July 2026). These data are submitted to Eurostat annually for reporting requirements under Waste Framework Directive, the Landfill Directive and the OECD/Eurostat Joint Questionnaire are subject to further validation.
Highlights ~ Generation ~ Treatment ~ Exports ~ Forecasts ~ Outlook~ More Information ~ Links
Generation
3,108,749 tonnes of municipal waste were generated in Ireland in 2024, relatively unchanged compared to the 3,134,839 tonnes generated in 2023. Generation grew by 340,706 tonnes between 2017 and 2024.
*There is no data available for years 2013 and 2015
|
Material stream |
Tonnes generated |
|---|---|
|
Metals |
121,384 |
|
Glass |
179,768 |
|
Plastic |
345,721 |
|
Paper and cardboard |
685,356 |
|
Bio-waste |
657,869 |
|
Bio-waste separated and recycled at source |
158,778 |
|
Wood |
80,102 |
|
Textiles |
164,440 |
|
Electrical and electronic equipment |
68,361 |
|
Batteries |
1,641 |
|
Bulky waste |
408,004 |
|
Mixed waste |
108,588 |
|
Other |
128,735 |
Treatment
Of the municipal waste recycled in 2024, 828,427 tonnes went for material recycling, and 493,536 tonnes were treated by composting/anaerobic digestion.1,278,279 tonnes of Ireland’s municipal waste went for incineration with energy recovery in 2024. This accounts for 41% of municipal waste managed.
|
Waste treatment type |
Tonnes treated |
|---|---|
|
Energy recovery |
1,278,279 |
|
Material recycling |
828,427 |
|
Composting/anaerobic digestion |
493,537 |
|
Landfilled |
473,121 |
|
Unmanaged waste |
33,375 |
|
Other recovery |
3,359 |
Treatment of municipal waste abroad
An estimated 37% of all municipal waste managed was exported abroad in 2024, a decrease from the 41% in 2023. Of the waste exported, most went for recycling (55%) or energy recovery (31%) while 14% went for composting or anaerobic digestion.
|
Waste treatment type abroad |
Tonnes treated |
|---|---|
|
Recycled |
626,734 |
|
Incineration with energy recovery (R1) |
351,654 |
|
Incineration on land |
32 |
|
Composted |
164,991 |
|
Landfill |
13,331 |
Forecasts
The EPA has developed forecasting models to get a better understanding of future municipal waste generation and recycling. These models provide an indication of where waste generation trends are heading, allowing us to better inform policy decisions and respond more proactively to emerging trends.
By forecasting, we aim to give policymakers timely insights that support evidence-based planning. Forecasting also offers the public a clearer picture of how waste generation is evolving, helping to raise awareness and encourage more sustainable behaviours.
The graphs below which have been generated by the models show:
- Observed data: actual municipal waste figures from 2001 - 2024.
- Fitted data: how the model interprets past trends based on historical data.
- Forecasted data: projected waste generation for the coming years, including a 95% confidence interval to quantify uncertainty.
Forecast Disclaimer
The forecast developed by the EPA relies solely on past patterns in a single data source in this case, municipal waste figures. The model only uses historical waste data (without considering external factors like policy changes, population shifts, or economic trends) and its accuracy is limited to the trends observed in the past.
A key influence on the current forecast is the previous year's prediction, which can amplify any inaccuracies over time. While the model provides a useful indication of potential future trends, it is not a perfect predictor. The EPA is exploring methods and incorporating additional data sources to enhance accuracy and reliability and continually improve our forecasting approach.
Outlook
The gap to the 2025 recycling rate target of 55% is considerable (12%) and cannot be bridged without targeted interventions. Forecasts suggest Ireland will not achieve this.
Looking ahead, the 2030 targets appear challenging based on current waste generation and recycling trends. Reducing waste generation levels is critical, but increased recycling rates will also be needed.
Since 2017, Ireland's population has grown steadily from 4.72 million to 5.38 million people, an increase of almost 12%. Despite this significant population growth, the amount of municipal waste generated per person has generally declined over the same period.
To meet the current recycling target, Ireland must require an additional 388,000 tonnes of recycling assuming generation remains the same.
More Information
Our national municipal waste data releases are based on information that is in line with the data we submit to Eurostat (the statistical office of the European Union) to fulfil our municipal waste reporting obligations. For reporting year 2020, Eurostat changed the reporting rules for municipal waste. The Irish information published in 2019 and earlier years is therefore not directly comparable to the information released from reporting year 2020 on.
The data we submit to Eurostat satisfy our reporting requirements under the Waste Framework Directive, the Landfill Directive and the OECD/Eurostat Joint Questionnaire. The data are to be submitted at the end of Q2 of the reference year +2. Following validation by Eurostat, official statistics for Ireland and all Member States are published on the Eurostat website as part of the ‘Municipal waste by waste management operations’ dataset. Data on municipal waste recycling rates for Member States are also published on the Eurostat website.
Composition Analysis
Household waste: Household kerbside waste continues to contain significant levels of incorrectly segregated material, particularly in mixed residual waste (MRW), where 58% of contents were non-target materials. Organic waste was the largest waste category, accounting for 28% of the overall household waste profile, while paper/cardboard (21%) and plastics (17%) were also major components. Much of the food waste and recyclable material is still being disposed of through the residual waste stream rather than recycling or organic waste collections, highlighting the need for further improvements in household waste segregation and participation.
Non-household waste: Commercial waste management remains heavily reliant on residual waste collections, with 73% of waste managed through MRW services compared to 18% through mixed dry recycling (MDR) and 9% through organic waste (OW) collections. Organic waste was the largest material stream, representing 32.8% of the total, with approximately 70% of this material still disposed of in MRW bins. Despite reductions in some paper and plastic waste streams, contamination remains a challenge, and significant quantities of food waste, liquids, single-use products and some hazardous materials continue to be incorrectly managed, indicating ongoing opportunities to improve segregation and resource recovery.